Rescuing
by violin16
Summary: When the Ministry takes away half of Hogwarts, Harry is terrified. Fearing for Hermione's life, he rushes to save her. But what if saving, only made things worse? Has Harry gone too far with his saving-people-thing? Rated T for minor violence in future chapters.
1. The Exam

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, or artifacts mentioned in the Harry Potter series.**

**Hi, so this is my first story on the site. I've had this idea in my head for a while and I wanted to share it. This chapter is from Harry's POV but it will probably change throughout the chapters. (At least, I think it's still POV if its 3****rd**** person limited.) **

**Please leave a review, all feedback is greatly appreciated!**

"Harry!"

Harry's eyes flickered open. A dream, more like a rollercoaster of crazed thoughts, had been, well…bad. Extremely bad. But before Harry could even register the dream a voice trudged over his thoughts. It crushed them, like Uncle Vernon in anger mashed with a glass ballerina.

"Harry! You need to get MOVING! Breakfast ends in fifteen minutes!"

The voice belonged to none other than the tall, long nosed, red-haired and freckled Weasley Harry had befriended. Ron.

"McGonagall will _kill _you if you're late! Come on!"

Deciding he'd rather not face McGonagall's fury, especially on a Monday morning; Harry leapt out of bed and dressed as fast as his muscles allowed him. Harry and Ron then proceeded down to the Great Hall where they found Hermione, with a book in her hand, as usual.

"I was wondering where you guys were! I thought you'd be late and today of all days…" Hermione spoke to them without raising her eyes from her book. Harry for one, had no idea how she did it. But before he could ponder on this feat, Ron interjected.

"Wait! What do you mean by 'today of all days'? What the bloody hell makes transfiguration suddenly more important today!"

"Really Ron! Today is the acceptance quiz into the Ministry tour. Given that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I would hope you would study for it, or at least not _forget _it." Hermione gave a huge sigh before returning to her book.

"Jeez Hermione! So I forget one little thing…"

"This is not little Ron! This is huge! All the career opportunities! All the interesting facts and all the stakes! I can't believe you! You always do this! _Always. _Do you even _care _Ronald? Is life just one big joke to you?"

Harry knew well enough how worked up Hermione could get about tests, or anything academic for that matter. Keen to stop the argument, as fighting was not going to help Hermione share her notes, Harry kicked Ron.

Ron mouthed _ow! _and grabbed his foot.However, he obviously got the warning, as he did not voice his pain. Hermione, still focused on her book, noticed nothing. But before Harry could ask Hermione what the test was on, the bell rang.

Harry stared down at his examination, having no idea what to expect. He then read the first question.

_**The Ministry of Magic accepts people without Hogwarts or other Prominent School degrees. True or False?**_

_Ok _Harry thought, _I think False that seems reasonable. Yeah, False._

He dipped his quill in the ink and scratched his choice onto the paper. He then continued to read.

_**Correct! The answer is False, now that you have finished the practice question, please continue on to the main part of the exam. **_

_**Write at least two paragraphs explaining why Perfects have an advantage in some departments, and a disadvantage in others. Please list which departments these are and explain how Head Boy/Head Girlmanship can rid one of these disadvantages.**_

Harry had no idea, and reading the rest of the questions, he couldn't find one he had any knowledge on. Glancing over to Ron, he found that Ron either didn't know anything, or just didn't care. He was doodling broomsticks on his copy of the essay. Deciding he wasn't any better off than Ron, he tried to focus on his dream.

It had been something about a…a test, the test he was taking, now. _Well, at least my subconscious remembers these things. _Harry thought glumly. But, he had a lingering feeling there was more. _Something, it was bad…there were, cages! That's it, huge cages like, garage sized! _But after several minutes of pondering, nothing else occurred to him and he was reduced to doodling various Quidditch-related objects.

The bell rang signaling the end of testing.

"Hold on!" Professor McGonagall called over the hustle of students leaving their seats. Everyone froze, and slowly sat back down.

"Please let me _finish and dismiss you _before you all run out of here like racers upon hearing a starting gun!" Something about Professor McGonagall's voice sent such a wave of no-nonsense through all the students; they didn't dare move.

"Accio exams!" Papers zoomed over to McGonagall's hands, who staked them neatly in a pile she placed on her desk.

"You will receive the results on Friday to prepare for the trip on Monday. Those of you who have not passed will go to classes as usual. All homework will be canceled to those students gone on Monday."

Harry hoped he passed though he knew it was impossible, missing one day of homework would certainly help him out. He had a great habit of procrastination.

"Classes are canceled for the rest of today, please return to your common rooms, you are now dismissed." McGonagall grabbed the papers and headed out, she was followed by the mass of students leaving the classroom, talking eagerly about what they would do with the rest of their day.

"Hey, Harry! How 'bout a round of chess before lunch?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, that sound great!"

Harry always loved wizard's chess. Even though Ron beat Harry almost every time.

"Guys! What about homework! You both barley finished that potions essay, I'm sure Snape will give you both T's and make you redo it!" Hermione obviously still had anxiety from the test.

Ron groaned "Hermione! I _don't care! _Why don't _you _go do your lousy homework! And I'm going to _enjoy mine_!"

"You enjoy your life!" Hermione shot back "We'll see who's enjoying their lives on Monday! And we'll see who's enjoying their lives when you're _broke _because you can't find a job due to the fact you never_ cared_ in school!"

Hermione huffed off from them, heading, Harry was sure, to the library. While he and Ron returned to the common room, to play chess. Little did he know this would be the last game they shared for a long time.

**Cliffhanger :O, oh and if you guys could help me out, I'm a bit confused about the rating thing, is that for the chapters you've published or for the whole planned book in general. Cause this chapters like K but the rest of the series won't stay there. And a good rundown on rating would be greatly appreciated cause I'm kinda confused. **


	2. The Results

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Seriously. I don't own any of this writing. Yeah I know, shocker.**

**So here's the next chapter of Rescuing! The next one hopefully will come out sooner. This one took a fair bit of editing to get it to flow right.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

**Oh and please review!**

It was the last day of, in Harry's opinion, a very tiring week. Ron and Hermione had spent all of it bickering, and it was wearing Harry down. Hermione being annoyed at Ron also meant he couldn't look at her homework, as she knew he would let Ron copy. As a result, his grades were suffering, terribly. But the amount of homework he had to do and his poor grades weren't on Harry's mind as classes ended that Friday. Nor were they on anyone else's minds, not even Hermione's.

The Ministry results were coming that day. And even though Harry knew he had no chance of passing, he couldn't help but hope. But far from confining is feelings with anyone, he sat in a brick red armchair watching his friends fighting.

"Ron! Will you be quiet! I'm trying to hear McGonagall coming!"

"Oh! Tense are we? And why is this? Oh yeah, you care too much about stupid exams! I have nothing to fear, I'm enjoying freedom on this wonderful Friday."

"I am free! I chose to spend my time on a test that will impact my future! I can choose to do this, and I can choose to not relax when there are important things to be done! You know what Ron? I'm done listening to you! I'm done sitting here listening to your complaints and your terrible advice! I never needed you and I certainly don't need you now!"

And with that Hermione picked up _Hogwarts, a History _and began to read. Ron looked hurt, but he stayed silent and stared at the fire, apparently lost in thought. Harry glanced at his watch, cursing McGonagall for taking so long.

But at that very moment, McGonagall burst into their room.

"Attention, Gryffindor's!"

The room fell silent.

"I have the results for the Ministry examination. If I call your name, please come up here to receive your schedule for the day, which will allow you to leave to the Ministry on Monday."

McGonagall read through the names of students starting with First years and going up through the various years. Harry paid no attention until his year was called.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione gave a breath of relief, but Harry was still nervous. He still had a chance, there still was a hope…

"Thomas, Dean!"

It was as though a light was extinguished inside him, and it appeared that way for all others except for those selected and Ron, whose light only stayed lit for only a few more seconds. Ron was not chosen.

Of course he expected it. He knew there was no possible way he would pass the exam. But still, he had a feeling of immense disappointment as he went into his dorm that Friday.

The weekend came and went without much excitement. Ron and Hermione still butted heads, but Harry was able to escape most of the drama in between Quidditch practice and the large amount of homework he had been assigned. Or to be more accurate, the large amount of homework he had been procrastinating about. Particularly, a rather large essay assigned by Professor Snape on the difference between moonstones and gillyweed seeds and their uses in modern potion making, which he had put off until midnight on that Sunday.

Hermione had long since gone to bed, her carefully packed bag lay by the fireplace, full of the things needed for the day long trip. Dean's bag also lay nearby, but its contents were messily strewn all about the bag, as Dean also shared Harry's habit of procrastination.

Ron had also gone to bed, though admittedly much later than Hermione. And with a very poor attempt on the homework Harry now struggled over. Hermione still refused to help them on school work.

And so Harry sat alone, the clock slowly subtracting the hours he had before he had to face a whole day in jealousy of Hermione. And Dean. And all the others who had been selected whose names he did not know, yet.

He yearned to sleep, but his grade was already suffering in Potions, and he'd be receiving a T for the term if he didn't get this assignment done. So he forced himself, to keep writing, keep reading, keep writing, keep reading, keep...

_"Wormtail."_

_ His own voice rang through the room, cold, clear and sleek._

_ "Are the cages ready?"_

_ "Yes, my Lord."_

_ Whispered Peter Pettigrew, scared to disappoint. He was a fool, but he did have his uses._

_"Then we shall do it, today"_


	3. Capture

**AN: So sorry this one took forever to get out, I've been so busy with school and other stuff I haven't had much time at all. Hopefully I can make up for it with this exciting chapter ;)**

Harry jolted awake a fear enveloping his exhausted mind.

_Voldemort_

He was doing something, something terrible…

If Harry was scared before, it was nothing compared to how he felt after the realization struck him.

_Voldemort was capturing and killing the kids on the Ministry trip._

He had to have been, it was the only way, the only thing that could be happening. Desperately, Harry glanced at the clock, he was still out in the common room having never gone to bed.

It was 8:30.

Frantic, Harry walked over to the fireplace where Dean and Hermione's belongings lay the previous night. His heart was pounding, the stress was overwhelming. Harry looked down…

Nothing was there save an old _Daily Prophet _that lay crumpled on the old brick.

"That's ok," Harry murmured to himself, "it could have been moved, or, or… it could be on the other side of the… fireplace."

But Harry's searches were fruitless, and he forced himself to come to the terrible conclusion.

Everyone had left, and they were on a straight path to Voldemort.

Harry raced up the boy's dormitory and found Ron, fast asleep. After several minutes of poking, shaking, and yelling Ron was awake; and several minutes more, informed of Voldemort's plot.

Ron's mouth was gaped with shock. It was several seconds before he said anything.

"But… how…?"

Suddenly Ron fell silent, a look of pure horror on his face.

"Ron…?"

Ron seemed to fall out of a trance as he glanced up to Harry.

"We have to let someone know." Ron's voice was firmer than Harry was accustomed to, but in the moment, such subtle differences were irrelevant.

"Yeah… maybe, Dumbledore?"

"Yeah, Dumbledore."

And with that the two Gryffindor's raced out of their dorms, through the portrait hole and down to the entrance to the Headmaster's study.

"Er…Chocolate Frogs?" Harry had forgotten about the password, but it didn't matter, Ron has spoken up.

"Harry, this sign, it says that Dumbledore isn't… isn't here."

And it was so. Harry would not have noticed the sign due to his height and his determination, but Ron, who was at least a good head taller than Harry, would have seen the sign easily.

"Then we'll, we'll… augh!" Pain ran through Harry's skull.

"_Very good Wormtail. You may prove yourself, useful."_

"_Thank you… oh my Lord… oh thank…"_

"_Silence. There is one thing I must ask of you." _

"_Anything my great Lord…"_

"_Trap them and keep them in the old Hogwarts Forest. Then keep watch over them. Dumbledore is gone, and by the time he is back we can take enough of their hairs and then dispose of them." _

_And with that Wormtail disappeared. _

"Harry! What…"

But Harry interrupted Ron.

"Wormtail's taking the kids from the Ministry, he's gonna kill them."

And then it hit him.

"Ron… wasn't Hermione on that…that trip?"

Ron bit his bottom lip and refused to look at Harry.

"Well, it doesn't matter. We'll save them."

Though his voice was full of confidence, doubt still clogged his head. What is Hermione… and what if the others...

"So, where… where are they." Ron's voice was shaky, and a little reckless.

"In the forest. Let's go."

And with that Harry and Ron raced down past Hagrid's cabin into the forest. Harry's mind was racing, and he was blindly following Ron, whom he assumed was following the loud noises. They ran for several minutes, adrenaline constantly pushing them forward, until Harry tripped over a tree root.

Harry swore, and getting up, he felt a stabbing pain in his left knee. Not only had he tripped, but some forest creature had bit him. Looking up, he noticed Ron had already ran far ahead, and presumably disappeared into the trees and bushes that were the Forbidden Forest.

He tried to get up, but was unable to do much more than fall right back down. Pain was threatening to wipe him out, but fear kept his conscience alive. Harry felt weak and tired, and felt himself losing the ability to move at all. He then began to curse the root that had put him in this scenario, and the stupid bug or whatever it was that bit his knee.

But then a scream echoed through the forest, one that was all too familiar.

It was Ron.

Another scream penetrated his ears, and soon the silence in the forest was blocked out by the ceaseless screams that sickened Harry's stomach.

Suddenly, a crack rung through the surrounding areas. A crack that, like the screams, were familiar to Harry.

Someone had apparated. And the screams were no more.

Wormtail had taken Ron away.

But as soon as this horrifying thought struck Harry, blackness filled his eyes and overpowered him.


End file.
